CANTON - Russ Finley, a Conservative candidate for the 116th Assembly District seat currently held by Addie J. Russell, has filed an opportunity to ballot petition for the Republican line.

“I was approached by several members of the Republican Party to be interviewed about my candidacy. A week later, I received an email from St. Lawrence County Republican chairman not only telling me that I could not attend their meeting, but if I did I would be arrested. It is this type of threats, intimidation, and bullying that has not only stopped good people from running for office, but has dropped our numbers of people who actually vote to roughly 30 percent,” he said.

“With the assistance of four friends and my two 80-year-old aunts, we set out to take it to the voters. Our little group reached out to other senior citizens, and went door to door accomplishing in 19 days what it took the entire St. Lawrence and Jefferson County Republican Party committees and their candidates six weeks to accomplish,” Mr. Finley said.

He said he personally secured 290 Republican signatures after already collecting enough Conservative signatures to personally secure that line as well.

“I am also proud to say that my 82-year-old mother gathered almost the same amount of Conservative signatures as I did, proving that my campaign fully believes that all voters, including our seniors, matter,” he said.

In addition to the 115 Conservative signatures filed last week, Mr. Finley said in a release he and his team collected 626 Republican signatures in 19 days.

“This is the type of representative that the people of this district want, need and deserve; someone who is willing to stand up to threats and intimidation, represent the people not the party, and especially work harder, faster, and do it with less, just like the families and small communities of this district are being forced to do each and every day,” he said.

“On Sept. 9, I now ask for the support of all Republicans in the 116th Assembly District and I ask for you to write in Russ Finley on the Republican primary ballot,” Mr. Finley added.

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